Pages

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Charli Reviews: Just Like Fate

Caroline is at a
crossroads. Her whole family is on her back, and her grandmother, the
only person who really understands her, is sick, maybe dying. All she
wants to do is escape. So when her best friend suggests a night out to
forget her troubles, Caroline must choose: stay by her grandmother's
side, or go to the party and live her life . . . and maybe meet the boy
of her dreams.

This decision will split Caroline's
fate into two separate paths - and she's about to live them both. But
there can only be one happy ending...

I received a free copy of this book from Electric Monkey in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my review/opinions in any way. Thank you Electric Monkey!

I absolutely adored Cat Patrick's Forgotten, so I was really excited to see how this one went, especially when I saw the synopsis on Goodreads.
The first thing to say about this book is that it really shows how one decision can affect absolutely everything, but it can all link up at the end. It shows us about destiny, and to not take any decision for granted.

It opens with the event that Caroline has to deal with; whether she should stay or go to a party whilst her grandmother is in hospital. The book then splits into the two sides of the story; the one in which she goes, and the one in which she stays.

"My throat seizes, and I make a sound halfway

between a moan and a whimper..."

Before I read it I honestly thought that the dual stories would confuse me, but I got used to it after a few chapters, and it then works amazingly. As I mentioned before, it all links up at the end of the book; which made me smile, because it really shows what destiny is.

I love how Caroline dealt with her family situations. Patrick and Young made it really realistic and break cliches about these sorts of issues. The emotions of her loss and other things came through really well, as if I could see her emotions, and was not just reading it all in the same tone.

"The full impact of her words hits,

and a shock of nervous electricity races

through me..." - GO

"It smells like lavender, mint and rose, and the air

is still, like it's waiting for something. Waiting for

her..." - STAY

I loved how the romance, though it was a key theme, didn't take over, like a lot of YA these days. I hate it when a really unique theme is ruined by the author/s make the romance become the most key element in a book. But, the romance just added that bit that made it a bit lighter, not just a heavy read.

The other thing was the tiny details and recurring things, such as the band Electric Freakshow, and their song about destiny. These things made it all the better.

As I had hoped, I loved this book and think it's unique split of story works really well, as do the characters, romance and plotline.